Archive for July, 2014

Summer From The Sky


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Sometimes things are just better up top! Check out these shots from the Australian sky:

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Victoria Fisher

 

Ring Leading Of The Future


 

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Ever since the evolution of cell phones, the need for watches has quickly disappeared. As the style of society also has changed the watch came back as statement. Large watches represent more of a fashion sense than a conventional use for an item. But now, a completely revolutionary idea has changed the time game. It is a watch with three movable rows; each with a unique function designed specifically in regard to helping tell time.  The first row shows numbers 1 to 24, the second shows 1 to 59, and the third sports little dots, which correspond to the hours, minutes and seconds, respectively.  To tell the time, built-in LEDs will light up the corresponding labels as soon as the ring is spun.  The Ring Clock is made from 316L surgical stainless steel and has a simple and sleek design. With the lights that are faint but still visible, this ring is sure to start some great conversations.

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Victoria Fisher 

Our First Good Look At The Avengers: Age Of Ultron.


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Entertainment Weekly is well known for grabbing some of the most exclusive movie news long before any other source has access to it, and this week, they delivered another gem.  The Avengers: Age of Ultron, caught their cover, and they were able to give us the public a little look into one of next summer’s most anticipated blockbusters.

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Warning, SPOILERS (and such).

Fresh off the heels of their cover reveal, Entertainment Weekly has debuted the first official photos from the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron, including some behind-the-scenes shots. Keep your eyes peeled while looking through them and you’ll notice Don Cheadle makes an appearance. Check them all out below.

Following this morning’s new images from Joss Whedon’s much-anticipated Avengers: Age of Ultron, EW has revealed quite a few details about the plot of the May 1, 2015 release, particularly related to James Spader’s robotic antagonist!

“A lot of times when Ultron starts talking, it’s beautiful,” explains Chris Evans. “It’s really intelligent stuff. He’s out to do the things he wants to do because he’s disgusted with X, Y, and Z. You could probably sit down with Ultron and have a really intelligent conversation. He could blow your mind with his views.”

An unusual foe, Ultron actually wants to bring about world peace. He simply wants to eliminate those most responsible for disrupting it: the human race.

“I know you’re ‘good’ people,” the magazine reveals as part of Ultron’s dialogue to the Avengers, “I know you mean well… but you just didn’t think it through… There is only one path to peace… your extermination.”

The magazine confirms that Ultron’s character begins as one of Tony Stark’s “Iron Legion,” a team of Iron Man-type robots that Stark is using to continue his crime-fighting in his absence. The character also serves as a metaphorical surrogate son to Tony and has elements of his personality.

“It’s not the good version that could’ve come from [Stark’s] intellect and personality,” says Chris Hemsworth. “It’s the bad son.”

 

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‘Looking For The Perfect Beat’.


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‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’ is a cinéma vérité immersion inside the unique Los Angeles “beat scene” music community, centered around the world famous Low End Theory club night. Filmed over the Summer of 2013, we are given the opportunity to elegantly lift the veil on the personal creative processes of the internationally-acclaimed pillars of the scene. Indie music luminaries such as Thundercat, the Gaslamp Killer, TOKiMONSTA, Jonwayne, Baths, Daedelus, Ras G, Teebs, D-Styles, edIT of the Glitch Mob, Astronautica, Free the Robots, and Matthewdavid are all featured in vivid detail. The soundtrack for the film creates itself live on camera as the film elapses. This avant-garde visual angle on each subject in their respective creative spaces provides for an introspective glimpse into what would otherwise be unseen.

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Told as a 24-hour tour throughout the city, the fly-on-the-wall perspective of ‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’ archives each artist’s studio at this moment in history, revealing something not only universally humanizing about the scene’s stars, but also telling of the diverse community in which this group of inter-related artists interact. Directed by seasoned music documentarian Matthew F. Smith, and produced by Low End Theory club founder Daddy Kev, ‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’ provides a holistic view of L.A.’s key players in this generation’s electronic music landscape while instilling hope for the future of cross-cultural creative unions.

Black Beauty.


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Tourbillon is one of the most basic complications that you look for in a watch, the grounding factor and the most poetic one. It is essential in keeping the negative effects of gravity on the accuracy of time telling, away. What we have here is the Tourbillon Black Hole Concept Watch, which is inspired by our universe and especially by the black holes.

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  • The three rings (hours and minutes) are designed like a vortex and the tourbillon escapement represent a nebula that is going to be inhaled.
  • You can see a transparent disk with white points (stars): this is the disk of the seconds and it moves at the speed of 360 degrees / minutes.
  • The moving tourbillon and this stars disk plus the rotating rings will create a beautiful black hole effect.

 

 

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The movement is mechanical and hand-wound with the power spring placed on the left side of the watch. All of this is visible thanks to a second sapphire glass. The time is indicated by the blue arrow and we can see that presently it shows 3h 18min.

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This Will Give You A Reason To Listen To A Beer Bottle.


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“19th Century technology meets 21st Century music over a bottle of beer in the latest extension to the Beck’s Record Label project. This time, the art label has evolved, and been replaced by the grooves of Auckland band Ghost Wave. Their new single was inscribed into the surface of a Beck’s beer bottle which could then be played on a specially-built device based on Thomas Edison’s original phonograph.”

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The clever people at Auckland firm Gyro Constructivists first had to design and build a record-cutting lathe, driven by a hard drive recording head. Then they reinvented Edison’s original cylinder player, using modern materials and electronics and built to very fine tolerances. The Edison Bottle made its public debut at SemiPermanent in Auckland in May to a standing ovation from the assembled media and design community.

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Beck’s has had a long association with music and art. In fact, at about the same time Heinrich Beck was brewing his first beer in the 1870s, Tom Edison was tinkering away on designs for the first phonograph. Considering how beer has influenced recorded music since then, this physical collaboration was very appropriate and long overdue.”

-via Dieline

This Oceanside Home Will Blow Your Mind.


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The Villa Sow House is another dream home designed by Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects (SAOTA), a Cape Town-based studio. This two-story contemporary residence is a plush, luxurious home and is located in on a cliff-top in Dakar, Senegal.  The exterior of the home exudes contemporary architecture; the sleek, luxury finish of the shining silver material being accentuated through artificial lighting. An incredibly vast swimming pool grabs the focal point of the exterior however, with relaxation, spaciousness and privacy all being combined to create a lavish haven with a terrace/garden-like area. The artificial grass, palm trees and boulder are utilized to generate a feel of modern Eden.

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The interior of the house continues the luxurious trend. Spaciousness is key in all of the rooms, with a huge main living space perfect for privacy or sociability – whatever the client desires. A balcony-like space features, overviewing the swimming pool terrace area and generating an excellent view of the beautiful African scenery, offering panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. The kitchen is a brilliant, efficient size also. A main feature in the house is the spiral staircase, clad in stainless steel.  This sophisticated, luxurious residence combines lavish living, spacious areas and panoramic views to create a beautiful, contemporary home.

-via Adelto

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Major Lazer At The World Cup.


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Deutschland has become the country of the World Cup Winners, but soccer wasn’t the only excitement in Rio during the tournament.  Diplo and Major Lazer had quite an electric performance on the rooftop of the Budweiser Hotel in Rio de Janeiro.  Check out the video below.

Animal Lovers Look Out.


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Surreal photography is something that baffles the mind, and stimulates the imagination.  It’s a rough style to pull off, and often requires quite a bit of photoshop manipulation.  However, some, like Russia’s Katerina Plotnikova have taken to the practical approach.  The animals, (yes all of them) in this photo collection are real.  There’s no visual trickery, or compositing, Katerina invests the time to use real animals in all her shots, and it pays off tremendously.  In an interview Ms. Plotnikova had this to say about working with the animals in her visually stunning work.

Of course they are real! The fox, for example, is a real domesticated animal. His name is Adyssey. He has a bit difficult temper, but he is very loved by his owner. All the animals that are in my photo shoots are treated really well. Sometimes, I even think that their owners treat them better than their own kids!

 

 

 

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Fluent ft. Action Bronson – Medallion.


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From Run DMC’s Dookie ropes to Kanye West’s Horus piece, chains have always been essential part of Hip-Hop culture. But while anyone can rock some gold around their neck and think they’re as fly as Eric B and Rakim, medallions are only worthy of a chosen few. Over this Rocky-esque “Gonna Fly Now” beat from J. Cardim, “Medallion” has Fluent revealing the inner-workings of his hustler’s ambition from a hard working youth, to his surreal, lavish lifestyle. Coupled with a hook from Action Bronson, the track is an ode for those who are moving fast from the bottom to the top, a mentality that is frequently showcased on Fluent’s upcoming LP, Supreme Victory, which is produced entirely by J. Cardim. With appearances from Nipsey Hustle, Joe Budden and Guilty Simpson, Fluent is prepared to show and prove that he can last a full 12 rounds and come out victorious.

How About A Solar Powered DJ Booth In Your Local Park.


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Have you ever found yourself wandering through a suburban park and wondering “this experience would be better with music”?  Well, your prayers may about to be answered, as Dutch sports company Yalp have developed a solar-powered DJ booth that is popping up in parks all over the place. Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Australia are the early adopters, and the booth has been positioned in public, absolutely free spots for anyone to wander up and start jamming their favorite tunes.

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It’s a simple enough device – you bring your mobile device and rest it on a special pad, which picks up the musical output without any wires (seriously, it’s like magic). Then you can muck around with the various effects (bitcrusher, delay, pitch shift etc) using the platters as controllers, and crossfade as necessary. Obviously if you wanna get the most out of it as an amateur DJ then you’ll need two devices, but we reckon that collaboration is being encouraged here.  One thing that does seem a bit iffy to us though is that with your phone sitting on the booth, relatively unguarded, how long will it last before someone snatches it? They are in public parks, after all.

 

You’ll Never Believe What These Portraits Are Made Of…


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It’s always been said that a picture is worth 1,000 words, but how many cuts is it worth?  Using a process that could be the new definition of meticulous, Korean sculptor Seung Mo Park creates giant ephemeral portraits by cutting layer after layer of wire mesh. Each work begins with a photograph which is superimposed over layers of wire with a projector, then using a subtractive technique Park slowly snips away areas of mesh. Each piece is several inches thick as each plane that forms the final image is spaced a few finger widths apart, giving the portraits a certain depth and dimensionality that’s hard to convey in a photograph, but this video on YouTube shows it pretty well. Park just exhibited this month at Blank Space Gallery in New York as part of his latest series Maya (meaning “illusion” in Sanskrit). You can see much more at West Collects.

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User Review: Neon Dreams – By Victoria Fisher.


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As we are reaching the mid way point of 2014, electronic dance music (better known as EDM) has progressively taken over the music industry. With concerts and festivals that fill the summer, no matter what coast you live on you are more than likely pumping your fist or nodding your head to some awesome beat drop.

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More well known DJs are now more often making longer songs that can last as long as over an hour straight; these are known as sets. The ability to keep somebody’s attention for more than the duration of a regular song (3-5 minutes) can be pretty difficult; especially if your music is not carrying a focus on the lyrical context. EDM is all about how the music makes you feel; the journey that it takes you and your mind on when listen to it. The Neon Dreams Compilation track by DJ Storm & Jeff Phantom (with a total duration of 1 hour 13 minutes and 30 seconds) does just that- takes you on an amazing musical journey.

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When I was first shown the track, I thought “Omg an hour?  Okay  well I’m already in for the night, I’ll just put it in on and let it rock.” And I did just that… best decision ever! The music is both soothing and energizing; the lyrics are not heavy in context but they provide just the right amount of coupling next to the beats that change consistently and smoothly. The next thing I thought about was how much I wanted to download it and go in at the gym to it! EDM music always helps me run like Forrest when I get on the treadmill and I knew that Neon Dreams was a perfect fit.

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As the song progresses, I became more entranced and excited to see what was coming next. Every song perfectly transitioned into the next, which is something that not every DJ is able to do. Transitions can really make or break a compilation and DJ Storm & Jeff Phantom straight up nailed it. Perhaps one of my favorite qualities of this song is that I want to listen to it at all hours of the day or night. Whether I am heading out to the club with my friends or just starting my work day at 8am, I cannot stop listening to this track. The music of it has become infectious in all the best ways possible. With dope beats and lyrics that partner it perfectly; Neon Dreams has easily become one of my favorite EDM compilations that I have ever heard. If it is any hint of how much I enjoy it; in the past week I have listened to the song in its entirety probably close to 6 or 7 times. That is not including the times that I started the song but was not able to finish it because I had to do other things (like work-LAME).

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DJ Storm & Jeff Phantom have made a pretty dope premiere of their musical abilities meeting. Neon Dreams is universally musically intriguing. As I write this at 9am I am definitely listening to it, beats bumping and fist pumping. Give the track a listen and be sure to let us know what you think!

 

The Greatest Web App You’ve Ever Mis-Seen.


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Do you read TMZ, Gawker, or The Onion, but feel ashamed anytime somebody catches you? Now you can change your appearance rather than your behavior. Timesify takes your guilty pleasure reading and cloaks it in the facade of a New York Times article. You get to posture as a concerned citizen while still getting your fix of Kanye drama. Timesify was made at Cultivated Wit’s fourth Comedy Hack Day in Brooklyn, NY June 15, 2014.  Check the method below.

Feel The Rainbow.


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Artist Gabriel Dawe is showing his incredible new installation that just opened to the public last October 6 in Como, Italy. As part of Miniartextil, an annual exhibition of contemporary art, Dawe created Plexus no. 19, a stunning thread installation that’s beautifully spread across two balconies in the atrium of a historic villa. The early 19th century neoclassic house, called Villa Olmo, was acquired in 1924 by the municipality of Como and is now open to the public only during cultural events and art exhibitions like this.

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This year’s Miniartextil exhibition is called Agora, taking from the Greek word that describes an important public place where people come to share ideas. The visitor is invited to not just look at the artwork but to be actively involved in it.Plexus no. 19 consists of two thread structures streamed across an upper and lower balcony that is meant to be experienced from different angles or at different times of the day. As Dawe tells us, “When the sun comes in in the morning, it is fantastic. Having those window-shaped light beams add a dimension to the installation. I always like when I get direct sunshine on them because it emphasizes the layering of the thread in very interesting ways.”

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With two assistants, Dawe constructed this installation in about a week. His greatest challenge was working to the confines of the space. “Because of the historic nature of the building, I wasn’t able to touch ceiling, walls or floors to screw in my structures,” he says. “So I resorted to fixing them to the railings, which in great measure restricted what I was able to do. In the end, it worked out pretty well; it really exceeded my expectations how well the installation inhabits the space.” – via Chiccquero

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A Bit To Do About Respect.


 

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Everybody wants it but not nearly as many people want to be the first to give it. Isn’t it the root of all arguments? The staple of all companies? The reason friendships and relationships end?  Respect is a universally understood value but not universally given. There are some people that believe respect is a two way street in which both cars should be traveling at the same speed. Then there are people that believe they drive Ferrari’s and should not abide by speeds even resembling their neighbors’. (Meaning they do not believe respect is mutual give and take).  The biggest error in the comprehension of respect is when people assume it is just given.  People want to receive it but are always hesitant to give it. Remind you of anything? Money.

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Funny the way that everything in life comes full circle; everybody wants money right? The more money you have, the more respect you attain. Even if somebody does not agree with what you think or feel or say or do, if you have a significantly greater amount of money than them in your bank account chances are they are definitely going to respect you. Think of homeless people on the street- do they usually get respected? The unfortunate reality is that they don’t. But if that was a business man on the ground texting on his iPhone and you accidently tripped over him you would probably be more likely to apologize to him as opposed to if you tripped over the scruffy looking dude that looked like he brushed his hair with a sneaker.

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What was one of the main lessons we were taught as young adults? First impressions are everything. The last thing anybody wanted was to be looked at foolishly upon first glance. Because if people do not think you are a respectable individual, that will completely change their response and their mannerisms with you. The absolute last thing you want is to be seen as somebody that does not deserve respect.  As you grow into an adult and begin to realize that it is not about what you know but who you know, your projection of self image will drastically change. Your decisions that seemed concrete at 16 to do whatever you wanted and to “express yourself” however you saw fit become significantly less realistic.

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Be sure to put the same type of energy & emotion into the universe that you want to receive. If you want to be respected, respect others. If you want to be appreciated, be sure to appreciate others.

And remember; 

life will always come full circle-no matter what.

-Victoria Fisher

 

Photos by Andrew Kovalev.